15 Saddest Romantic Movies of All Time

Not all romantic movies conclude with a happy ending. Unlike Disney, there are several films that have made the bold move of not allowing a prince and a princess relishing a permanent affectionate union. From heartbreaks to emotional breakdowns, here are the 15 saddest romantic movies of all time:

15. A Walk To Remember (2002)

When Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan evolve from friends to lovers, the former could never have imagined that their relationship would not last for long despite their devotion to each other. As it turns out, Jamie is suffering from leukemia and her treatment is not doing any favors.

Determined to make her remaining days the happiest, Landon assists Jamie in everything she wanted to accomplish in her limited lifetime. Even though they get married, Jamie eventually dies from leukemia.

14. The Notebook (2004)

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If anything, The Notebook proves that some couples indeed stay in love with each other even during their old age. Starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as Noah and Allie, respectively, the movie explores how their characters fell in love with each other despite the social class gap between them.

With their best years behind them, Noah narrates their story to a dementia-stricken Allie every single day until they both die together in a nursing home.

13. The Best of Me (2014)

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Amanda was happily married to her husband Frank but her life soon goes awry when her former boyfriend Dawson from 21 years earlier meets her at the funeral of a mutual friend.

As a contrast to the typical plot of a marriage ending due to infidelity, The Best of Me offers a complete alternative instead. When Amanda’s son Jared is injured in a car accident and needs a new heart, Dawson eagerly steps forward and donates his heart.

12. Romeo + Juliet (1996)

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Undoubtedly William Shakespeare’s most beloved play, the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet has been told and retold countless times in several forms of media. However, the 1996 movie Romeo + Juliet offers a different spin on the famous tale and includes the element of crime in it.

Despite the movie being a massive spoiler in itself, one cannot help but tear up at the expected ending of the title characters dying in each other’s arms after Romeo drinks poison and Juliet shoots herself in the head.

11. 500 Days of Summer (2009)

After discovering that both of them have the same taste in music, Tom and Summer soon embark on a friendship. Not so surprisingly, it blossoms into a relationship and the viewers are eager to see them end up together in a marriage.

However, Summer never shares the same feelings as experienced by Tom and both of them leave on their separate ways, proving that some couples really are not meant to last forever.

10. Aashiqui 2 (2013)

Much like Disney, Bollywood is eager to produce endless romantic movies that share a happy ending so it definitely came out as a shock when it stepped out of its way and released Aashiqui 2.

Often hailed as the very best saddest romantic movie in the realm of Bollywood, Aashiqui 2 revolves around alcoholic musician Rahul and rising singer Aarohi. As her promising career starts being affected due to Rahul’s nagging problems stemming from his alcohol addiction, he realizes that he is a burden for her and commits suicide.

9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

The story begins with a deformed baby Benjamin being born with an appearance of an old man mere minutes away from his death. As he grows older, he seemingly ages in reverse and befriends seven-year-old Daisy.

As the years go by and both of them physically reach the point of the same age, the duo could not deny their feelings for one another but wisely decide not to commence a relationship due to Benjamin’s reverse aging.

Daisy, even after being married and old, never forgot Benjamin and took care of him when he showed signs of dementia while growing into a pre-teen. Amid his last moments as an infant, he dies in Daisy’s warm arms.

8. The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

It seems like only yesterday when The Fault In Our Stars became a global phenomenon. The story about two cancer patients meeting in a support group and embarking on a relationship melted the hearts of everyone worldwide.

Hailed as one of the best tragic romantic stories in recent memory, the movie was made with a measly budget of $12 million and successfully managed to earn $307.2 million at the box office.